Pope calls for end to Syria bloodshed in Easter message

By the CNN Wire Staff

Updated 3:15 PM ET, Sun April 8, 2012

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Holy Week around the world – Pope Benedict XVI delivers his "Urbi et Orbi" message and blessing from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the end of the Easter Mass on Sunday in Vatican City.

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Holy Week around the world – Women pray and sing at an Easter Sunday service at an outdoor church in Lilongwe, Malawi.

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Holy Week around the world – Queen Elizabeth II receives flowers from young people while her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, daughter-in-law, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and granddaughter Lady Louise Windsor look on as they leave Saint George's Chapel in Windsor Castle after attending the Easter service.

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Holy Week around the world – Easter riders parade on horseback on Sunday in Wittichenau, Germany.

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Holy Week around the world – A Chinese Catholic clergyman lights a flame for candles during an Easter service at the historic South Cathedral in Beijing on Saturday, April 7.

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Holy Week around the world – Members of the Spanish Legion carry a statue of "Christ of the Good Death" to Santo Domingo de Guzman Church in Malaga, Spain, during a Holy Week procession.

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Holy Week around the world – Pope Benedict XVI leads the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome on April 5.

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Holy Week around the world – Roman Catholic clergymen hold candles as they circle the Stone of Anointing during the Holy Thursday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City.

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Holy Week around the world – Children take part in a procession of the Padre Jesus Nazareno brotherhood during Holy Week on Tenerife, one of Spain's Canary Islands.

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Holy Week around the world – A penitent of the Perdon brotherhood walks during a Holy Week procession in Cordoba, Spain.

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Holy Week around the world – Penitents of the Cofradia del Silencio (Brotherhood of Silence) wait for the start of their Holy Week procession shortly before it was canceled because of rain in Zamora, Spain. Easter week is traditionally celebrated with processions in most Spanish towns.

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Holy Week around the world – A statue of "the affliction" is carried during a Holy Wednesday procession in Cali, Valle del Cauca department, Colombia.

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Holy Week around the world – A penitent lies on the ground on the eve of the Good Friday re-enactments of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in San Fernando City, north of Manila, Philippines. Despite the church's advice to shun the practice, devout Filipinos have themselves nailed to crosses as Asia's bastion of Catholicism marks Good Friday.

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Holy Week around the world – Penitents flagellate themselves as part of a Lenten observance in Manila.

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Holy Week around the world – Penitents walk up Calle Balborraz during the Holy Week procession of the Cofradia de la Virgen de la Esperanza (Brotherhood of Our Lady of Hope) in Zamora, Spain.

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Holy Week around the world – Parishioners wash each others' feet during the Maundy Thursday Mass celebrating the Last Supper of Jesus and his disciples at the National Cathedral in Washington on Thursday.

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Holy Week around the world – Christian Arab worshipers carry a large wooden cross along the Via Dolorosa, or the Way of Suffering, as they enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, an ancient, sprawling shrine that Orthodox and Catholic Christians believe was built on the original site of the crucifixion.

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Holy Week around the world – Penitents join a Good Friday procession in Sorrento, Italy.

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Holy Week around the world – Penitents attend a Good Friday procession in Sorrento.

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Holy Week around the world – A woman and child walk under the Macarena Arch in Sevilla, Spain.

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Holy Week around the world – Empalaos, or "impaled ones," walk the Via Crucis, or "the way of the cross," marking the Stations of the Cross while bound by rope to a crucifix. The walk is an act of penance and honors a promise made to the Empalaos Brotherhood and the Christ of Vera Cruz in the town of Valverde de la Vera, Spain.

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Holy Week around the world – A penitent of the Jesus Nazareno de Medinaceli brotherhood drags chains along the ground during the Holy Week procession Friday in Madrid, Spain. Many regions throughout Spain celebrate Easter week with religious processions.

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Holy Week around the world – The Nuestra Senora de los Dolores Coronada, of the Dolores brotherhood, heads down a street during a Holy Week procession Friday in Cordoba, Spain.

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Holy Week around the world – From a window, a child watches penitents of the Dolores brotherhood before a procession Friday during Holy Week.

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Holy Week around the world – President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama host a Passover Seder dinner for family, friends and staff in the Old Family Dining Room at the White House on Friday.

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Holy Week around the world – Archbishop of York John Sentamu, left, baptizes a local churchgoer during an Easter ceremony Saturday in York, England. The baptism of adults by total immersion is a ritual signifying the death of a believer's old life and a rebirth in Christ. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus three days after his execution on the cross.

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Holy Week around the world – Pope Benedict XVI holds a candle during the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday at St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.

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Holy Week around the world – Chinese Catholics pray as they attend an Easter service at the historic South Cathedral in Beijing on Saturday.

An analyst says Syrian Christians might be more fearful of celebrating openly this year

Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday called for an end to violence in Syria, as well as a renewed peace effort in the Middle East, in his annual Easter Mass message from the Vatican as Christians worldwide marked the holiday.

"May the risen Christ grant hope to the Middle East and enable all the ethnic, cultural and religious groups in that region to work together to advance the common good and respect for human rights," the pope said in his "Urbi et Orbi" ("To the City and to the World") message in St. Peter's Square.

"Particularly in Syria, may there be an end to bloodshed and an immediate commitment to the path of respect, dialogue and reconciliation, as called for by the international community, he said. "May the many refugees from that country who are in need of humanitarian assistance find the acceptance and solidarity capable of relieving their dreadful sufferings."

The Iraqi people, he said, should be encouraged to "spare no effort in pursuing the path of stability and development. In the Holy Land, may Israelis and Palestinians courageously take up anew the peace process."

And the pope asked that "the risen Jesus comfort the suffering populations of the Horn of Africa and favor their reconciliation," including Sudan and South Sudan, "and grant their inhabitants the power of forgiveness. In Mali, now experiencing delicate political developments, may the glorious Christ grant peace and stability. To Nigeria, which in recent times has experienced savage terrorist attacks, may the joy of Easter grant the strength needed to take up anew the building of a society which is peaceful and respectful of the religious freedom of all its citizens."

Christians have previously been the targets of violence in Nigeria, most notably on Christmas Day, when a string of bombs struck churches in several cities. A bombing Sunday in the northern city of Kaduna killed 25 people and wounded another 13, emergency management agency spokesman Abubakar Zakari said. While the blast was near a Christian church where services were taking place, the target was not immediately clear.

Thankfully, thousands of Easter services -- from the annual sunrise service at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C., to throngs of worshipers attending Mass in the Philippines -- were far more peaceful, a time for both reflection and celebration.

In Georgetown, Texas, that included cheers for Tim Tebow, who has become known as much for his religious devotion as for his exploits on the football field.

The quarterback took the stage alongside Celebration Church senior pastor Joe Champion to talk about how his faith brings him peace, joy, stability and a sense of purpose even at times of what might seem like intense turmoil and scrutiny. Tebow has been on a roller coaster in the last year with his play and public displays of faith, and more recently with his trade from the Denver Broncos to the New York Jets.

"Whatever happens in life -- good or bad, whether you're the hero or the goat, whether you like it or not -- you know that someone has a plan for your life, and it's a special plan," Tebow told the congregation, about his belief that his future is in God's hands. "When you trust that and you have hope in that, then you have peace in all decisions and everything you do. And it brings a lot of joy to your life."

For Christians in countries thrown into tumult by the Arab Spring revolutions, some say Easter celebrations could prove dangerous.

In the past, Syrian Christians "have had great outpouring of piety in the public squares on Easter," said Nina Shea, director of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute in Washington. "This time, I suspect it is going to be vastly different. They are fearful."

Though the geopolitical makeup of each Arab Spring country is different, Shea and other religious freedom scholars say that a pious holiday like Easter presents an opportunity for anti-Christian groups to seek out worshippers.

Religious holidays have long been a venue for terrorist attacks against all religious groups in the Middle East and North Africa. These holidays provide not only a meaningful day to make a statement but also see large concentrations of worshippers in one area.

"Christ is hope and comfort in a particular way for those Christian communities suffering most for their faith on account of discrimination and persecution," the pope said Sunday. "And he is present as a force of hope through his church, which is close to all human situations of suffering and injustice."

Last Easter, Benedict called for peace amid ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East and mentioned the plight of those in Japan recovering from the devastating earthquake and tsunami.